The great Hazrat Aboul Barkat
Imam Ali Shah was borne at Rattar Chattar in
1212 A.H. His birthplace is presently known as Makkah Sharif.
His father, Syed Haider Ali Shah was a herbal
physician (Tabeeb). He was yet a child when he lost the benign
shelter of his father. He received his basic religious education
from Moulana Faqeer Allah Din Koti and was trained in his
ancestral field of medication by Hafiz Muhammad Raza and Moulana
Noor Muhammad Chishti. He was very intelligent and he surpassed
his fellow students in every discipline. However, from his very
child-hood, he possessed a sensitive nature and was inclined
towards poetry. Even during the days, when he as a student, he
could compose verses with felicity and ease.
In those days when he was
quite young, he happened to visit the holy shrine of Hazrat Baba
Fareed Gunj-e-Shakr where he met a
fortune-teller who, by dint of his knowledge of physiognomy,
read the promising signs of saintlihood on the face of the young
saint and predicted: "This lad will command a sublime
position in future and will be favoured by an elderly person of
his family." Hazrat Sahib became anxious on hearing this
prophecy and tried to visualize that particular person of his
family, who was destined to lead and guide him on the Divine
Path. In this respect, faces of all the members of his family
flashed across his mind but he could not identify that special
personality.
That special personality was
that of Syed Hussain Shah who was the
pride of his family. As the Providence had already set it.
Hazarat Imam Ali , soon met his
spiritual godfather who, at once, noticed the brilliance
radiating from his blessed face and asked him, "My boy, which
book do you read?". Before Hazrat Imam Ali Shah could manage an answer, Shah Sahib advised him. "You should
read "Masnavi of Moulana Room. Its reading will benefit you a
lot. It will reform your deeds, enlighten your heart and enrich
your soul". This was the lesson that Syed Hussain Shah
taught to the young boy who was going to
occupy a prominent position as a spiritual leader of excellence
among the Muslim saints. According to a tradition, the Holy
Prophet Sallalho Alyho Wasalam had given
special instructions to Hazrat Syed Hussain regarding the training and spiritual upbringing of Hazrat Imam
Ali Shah
Next day Hazrat Syed Hussain
Shah called him and explained to him a few
verses of the "Masnavi Shrif". The words of his teacher stirred
the very heart of Hazrat Ali Shah The very
first lesson produced in him a great desire and urge to learn
more of it. His interest rose to such a pitch that he started
regular readings of the book. Whereas he proved himself a
devoted student, his teacher, too, was not less devoted.The
method of teaching of Hazrat Shah Sahib was
superb. The manner in which he explained the difficult verses of
the "Masnavi" was matchless and unique. When he spoke, the
listeners were charmed and infatuated by the spell of his
beautiful oration.
The more Hazrat Imam Ali Shah
learnt from Syed Hussain Shah
the more he was inspired by his great and sublime
personality. Hazrat Imam Ali Shah himself
narrated that once, during his education, he had to visit Hafiz
Mahood at Jehlum, along-with Hazrat Shah Sahib
He witnessed strange phenomenon at the meeting
of the two great personalities of that time. People from the
surrounding areas were present to show their allegiance to Hafiz
Sahib. Hazrat Imam Ali Shah also requested him
to shower his spiritual blessings upon him. At this Hazrat Hafiz
Mahmood said, "Allah will bless you with the
love of your mentor". In fact, he was referring to Hazrat Syed
Hussain Shah Hazrat Imam Ali Shah
said:
"From that day, my heart was filled with love
of and affection for my mentor. When we returned, I requested my
mentor to grant me asylum in his spiritual regime. He was
gracious enough to accede to my humble request and admitted me
to his spiritual circle. He advised me to indulge in "ZIKAR"
(remembrance of Allah).
Within a short span of time,
by virtue of of his own diligence and hard work, and by the
special attention with which his mentor treated him, he rose to
such an eminence of spiritual status for which divine seekers
endeavour for many years. Allah had blessed him with such
miraculous powers as could purge the hearts of astray men at a
single glance. He used to stay at the bank of a pond called
"Dholi Dhab" for many consecutive nights. The pond was far from
human habitation and was an ideal place for meditation and
contemplation. He faithfully followed the routine, which his
mentor had prescribed for him, throughout his life. He had a
great respect for his mentor and held him in high esteem and
reverence. He left no stone unturned to rise to the expectations
of his mentor and served him to the best of his capacity. His
love for his mentor had implanted in him a rare and special kind
of humility as well. He crossed all limits in expressing this
humility. He himself used to collect the excrement of his mentor
as well as that of his horse in an earthen pot, carry it on his
head and dispose it of into the river. This, indeed exhibited
the humblest expression of his love and respect for his mentor.
This is why Syed Hussain Shah had a great regard
for him and held him very dear. Allah had bestowed upon him many
blessings and a beam of light always sparkled on his face.
Even after the demise of his
mentor, Hazrat Imam Ali Shah kept the sentiment
alive. A famous incident happened in his family. Once he got
annoyed with his son Sahibzada Sadiq Ali Shah Sahib on some
thing. All the well-wishers tried to resolve the matter but in
vain. At last the Sahibzada made a request to God at the tomb of
Hazrat Syed Hussain Shah in the following
manner: "If a father gets annoyed with a son, the latter has
no place in the whole world to resort to. My father is not only
my parent but also my spiritual guide. For God's sake, help me
in my predicament and helplessness". When Hazrat Imam Ali
Shah learnt of it, he called his son and asked.
"What appeal have you made to Hazrat Hussain Shah
?. The Sahibzada replied, "The secret is open to you". Hazrat
Imam Ali Shah , at once mellowed down and said."
Since you have approached the higher court, I forgive you".
It is said that Hazrat Shah
Hussain had permitted Hazrat Imam Ali Shah even during his lifetime, to take oath of allegiance
from those people who were anxious to enter his spiritual
circle. After the grant of this permission, he promoted the
Naqshbandia School of Spiritual Order a great deal. A brief
account of the valuable places of advice
that he gave to his
disciples is given as under:
Emphasizing the respect of mentor he said: "A 'Mureed' (follower)
must cherish respect from his mentor to such a degree that, so
long as he is present in his company, he should not speak
without his permission; should not daringly make an eye to eye
contact with him. He should prefer his mentor to all other
things in the world. "Treeqat" is, in fact, just another name
for respect. A disrespectful person remains deprived of the
blessings of his world as well as those of the hereafter".
At
another point he said: "Be all ears to listen to what your
mentor says because to hear his advice is better than to read
thousands of books. Perform whole-heartedly what your mentor
enjoins you to do."
Defining the word, 'Mureed' (disciple) he said; "A 'Mureed'
is one whose carnal of desires have been burnt down by the fire
of Divine Love. When he gets up in the morning, tears flow from
his eyes on account of sorrow and regret at the life he has
wasted. He is humble and un-resourceful. He feels sad at his
past sins and aspires for Divine favour in future. He is
time-bound for deeds upright and bears all hardships with
patience. He always confesses his fault and is a candidate for
the forgiveness of Allah. He does not waste away even a single
breath without remembering Allah; rather at every breath, he
thinks that he is taking his last breath". Regarding spiritual
benefits he said: "The bounties and blessings that descend upon
a mentor also descend upon the follower, but a follower can not
get benefit directly from the Divine Court because four basic
elements of his existence and his carnal desires obstruct his
exaltation. Since a mentor is free from these shackles, and
remains attached to Allah Almighty; therefore a follower can
also get benefit from his mentor." He further said: "Repent is
such a manner that you may never think of committing a any sin
again".
Describing the merits of 'ZIKR' "There are innumerable
benefits of "ZIKR'. The heart of a person, who remembers Allah
and remains busy in 'ZIKR', leaves no space in it for any other
thing except Allah. That is why every object in this world is in
his control".
Talking
of Spiritual maladies, he said: "Allah Almighty disapproves
that the followers of the beloved Prophet
Sallalaho Alyhe Waslam
may be condemned in any way (as earlier people were condemned).
However, those, who do not fear or do not obey Allah are
condemned for they blacken their hearts and do not refrain from
sin'.
He
advised his followers that they should never become idle. They
should always remain busy in work and contented with their lot,
and cherish the belief that God is the Sustainer and that He
alone provides food to His creatures under all circumstances.
However, it is impossible to get more than their due share.
Therefore they should not disobey Almighty Allah by making
complaints because disobedience causes damage in this world as
well as in the hereafter.
Allah
Almighty had especially blessed and gifted Hazrat Imam Ali Shah
with two great qualities which he had acquired by
dint of his great obedience to the Holy Prophet
Sallalaho Alyhe
Wasalam.
One of the quality was his healing look and the other one was
his brilliant fact. Many non-Muslims embraced Islam at his hands
and many misled Muslims reformed themselves and got the real
spirit of the Faith. Such was a little show of the stupendous
miraculous powers he possessed.
It is
that sick people got rid of their illness at his hands. Once a
Sikh, who was a chronic patient of paralysis was brought for
Hazrat Sahib. As soon as the patient had a look at the glowing
face of the great saint he got up, embraced Islam, remained in
his company throughout his life as a servant. It is stated that
even in the season of winter, the said person used cold drinks
in order to keep himself normal. He used to say: "Since the day
Hazrat Sahib has cast his benign and kind glance at me, nothing
soothes me down except cold drinks. It seems as if my whole body
is on fire". Many lepers got rid of their disease by applying to
their bodies, the wasted water used by him for ablution. Once a
man brought his only son, who was blind, to Hazrat Sahib and
requested him to help the boy, Hazrat Sahib put a little saliva
into the eyes of the blind boy and prayed for him. In a couple
of visits, the eyesight of the blind boy was restored.
This
account of Hazrat Imam Ali Shah's
spiritual perfection and miraculous powers will remain
incomplete if we fail to mention his highly appreciated and
lovable book "Mura-tul-Mohaqqeen". The book is in the Persian
language and is reckoned as a masterpiece of brevity and
concision. It depicts the artistic qualities of the author in a
superb manner. It has been written in such a captivating and
attractive style that one likes to read it time and again. The
book has been divided into two parts. Its first part deals with
the life history of Hazrat Shahbaz-e-Toheed Hussain Shah,
while its second part
consists of the sayings and quotations of Hazrat Imam Ali Shah
In the following extract Hazrat Sahib has explained how we can
get rid of the charms and attractions of this moral world. He
says:
All
material things that exist in this world impress the human heats
very much and the impression is like a screen or veil between
man and his Master. This impression gets deeper into the heart
of man by adopting bad company, by seeing colorful shapes of
different things and by indulging in idle pursuits. Therefore,
to wipe out this impression, man should strive to get away from
them. The other thing that strengthens this impression is the
study of immoral books and man's participation in musical
gatherings and idle talks. All these things widen the distance
between man and Allah Almighty. It is, therefore, necessary to
shun them and to become attentive towards Allah. Only then man
can get his heart purified. The purification of the heart can
not be achieved without giving up carnal desires and without
negating physical demands."
At
another place he says: "Let it be known to man that the real
comfort lies in heaven. So, he should bear the hardships of this
world where his stay is only for a few days so that he may find
eternal peace and comfort in the next world. In all cases,
whatsoever, he should follow the examples set by his forefathers
in religion. He should always offer his regular prayers in
congregation (JAMAT) and acquire the knowledge of Hadith. He
should not run after popularity and worldly fame as these things
cause a great trouble. He should not be proud of having a high
rank; rather should spend his days in anonymity."
In his
last days Hazrat Sahib fell ill. He breathed his last on 14th
Shawal 1282 A.H. and embarked on his way to heaven. He was
buried at Ratat Chatar (Makan Sharif India). He is spiritually
alive till today and his valuable teachings will remain a source
of guidance for the seekers of truth for all times to come.
After his demise his son, Sahibzada Sadiq Ali Shah, succeeded
him.
REFERENCE
Khazina-e-Marfat by M. Ibrahim Kasuri, Sher-e-Rabbani Number
Monthly Noor-e-Islam Sharqpur Sharif by Sahibzada Mian Jamil
Ahmed Sharqpuri Naqshbanid
Note: Above matter extracted from Sher-e-Rabbani Digest. |